Darker than BLACK: A contractor who loved
by Royalmars
Summary: How would you describe love? Painful, happy, joyous or even sad perhaps? To a contractor it is simply a waste of time, an obstacle in life that prevents you from becoming stronger, from progressing. But, to this contractor it is everything and she will give everything she has for her new love. [M for sexual scenes, mature language and detailed violence]
1. Introduction

Disclaimer - I do not own any of the characters or the world of Darker than Black it is property of the rightful owner Tensai Okamura and this is a work of fan fiction using the characters from the Darker than BLACK world. I do not claim ownership over any of the characters or the world used, which is owned by Tensai Okamura. This is merely a story using situations of my own imaginative works i do not ascribe them to the official story canon and this is only a work intended for entertainment outside of the official story line owned by the author. I would also like to thank Tensai Okamura for creating such a wonderful world with an amazing story-line as I would not be able to create this imaginative story of my own without it, so again thank you.

* * *

It was when she was a child. She was once a peaceful child with a loving family and she couldn't ever ask for a batter life, but life is cruel to all of us and will always hurt us when we least expect it.

Her mother became a contractor: an emotionless shell incapable of loving or feeling much of anything, they only ever decide on rational thoughts which will support them best in their nature and killing her family is what seemed rational to this mother of two. She only ever thought they held her back and so she slaughtered them.

"Mother!" a girl cried

Blood, blood everywhere; crimson in color and thick in the air the sight of it was like a painting, a painting of death that covered the walls, the floor, the ceiling, it covered everything! The smell clung to the air like a disease around a rotting corpse. The stench filled her lungs, coating them in foulness as rich and dark as the red surrounding her, forcing her to cough and gag as her body tried and failed to resist the stench.. It filled her lungs and only made her puke it all back up. She was so scared, and she had every right to be watching as her own mother tore apart her once whole family into nothing but chunks and pieces with her new-found abilities.

Why? Why did she survive? That question haunted her dreams because she had no answer to it. In theory she didn't know why she survived that horrific incident; her mother just didn't kill her. Her eyes, they glowed red a deep blood red and they just stared into her own dark brown ones, just staring and then she killed herself: ripped out her heart.

Now, she was alone in life she had no one to care for her, no one to miss her if she were to ever die, she was alone and that is how she had lived life so far. But, every cloud has a silver lining and even though she was unaware of it, there were soon going to be significant changes in her life.

* * *

 **Authors notes:**

I really hope you enjoyed the introduction. I know it was very short but I just wanted a way to interest you in the story without giving away too much right off the get go. With that being said i do hope you continue to read on as i publish more chapters, I'm thinking this story will be around 15 - 20 chapters long however i am currently undecided so I will update as i produce more chapters.

As well as this, your feedback is highly appreciated and i do hope you find time to leave me some form of comment whether it be praise or even a critique as both really do motivate me to try harder as well as giving me ideas for improvement so i would highly appreciate it. Apart from that I look forward to seeing what you guys have to say and thank you for reading, I shall see you in the next part.


	2. Chapter 1 - The Black Reaper

Misaki Kirihara: She was a strong woman, resilient to corruption and always sticking with her gut it had led her to become quite popular among the other officers and captains. She was experienced in dealing with contractors and although this was nothing special it still earned her respect among her peers.

Right now, she was on her way to see her friend Kanami about some important business with a very specific contractor, who had managed to elude her clutches every time she encountered him.

Driving slowly through traffic Misaki's mind began to wonder to the case files about him; he was different than all the other contractors because from what was on record and from what she herself had witnessed, he had no need for payment of using his powers as all other contractors do, and instead of frightening her like it did every other person it only intrigued Misaki further.

* * *

After driving for some time now, Misaki finally reached the astronomy building where her friend Kanami worked and after a quick refreshing drink of water Misaki stepped out of her car only to be suddenly ambushed by her friend.

"MISAKI!" Kanami exclaimed as she jumped towards her friend squeezing her in a tight hug

"Kanami!" Misaki groaned

Kanami let go and frantically began checking her friend for 'signs' only to give a disappointed face followed by a blank stare. "What?" Misaki asked in suspense however, she was given no answer and instead got dragged inside and through multiple corridors before eventually, the duo stopped in a large room full of working people and an old woman sat silently on a raised platform in the middle of the room.

"Your friend has been busy." Kanami bluntly said as she chewed on her pen before writing something down only to pass it along to a colleague as he walked past.

"Doing what exactly?" Misaki questioned.

"We don't know but he was active big-time last night, but we couldn't reach you because the power sparked out." Kanami explained.

Misaki sighed heavily because whenever he was active it meant more work for her, a lot of work as she had been tasked head officer for his case and anything with him involved meant paper work for her, literal 'mountains' of it. But still, she didn't mind because it meant she could get closer and closer to capturing him and finally, being able to see behind that infamous mask.

"Hellllllooooooooooo?" Kanami dragged out the word whilst waving her hand in front of Misaki getting a sudden burst of shock from her.

"Sorry I was daydreaming." Misaki said chuckling nervously.

"Yeah I noticed, your superior is on the phone." Kanami smiled whilst holding the phone up for her.

Misaki took the phone and walked out of the room and into an empty corridor for privacy but, she didn't really need it as once she was given her orders her boss hung up the phone.

He was so blunt: he rarely ever smiled and whenever he did it was clearly a fake, a front for show. He was a private and mysterious man holding his secrets as close together as he did his hands, which he tended to keep concealed or locked together. However, Misaki didn't mind for in the end she didn't care for his secrets; she only cared for her job and her subordinates.

After handing Kanami back her phone Misaki proceeded to head back to her car and drive off, heading for the destination she was ordered to yet she couldn't help but feel as though this would go the same as it always did: She arrives there, she orders him to stop and then he disappears as always. It was just this repeating motion like a pattern and yet she never once tried to break free of it. Was it because she couldn't? Or, was it instead because she didn't want to because deep down she truly enjoyed the thrill of chasing him?

* * *

Gunshots, bullets flying everywhere from all angles as three men attempted to gun down one man, but he was too quick for them to get an aim on and so they settled on just spraying bullets everywhere with blind hope that they'd hit him. Instead, they ended up doing the exact opposite and missed every shot they took.

He was like a ghost, running and dodging whilst strategically moving his way around each of the three men, only to come close enough to kill them and loosen the pressure he faced. They were no match for him as he ruthlessly killed them all eventually moving along to the room he was targeting. Kicking open the door, the man entered with no sound to his footsteps as he then raised his arm as quick as a flash of lightning and watched as the bullet fired from the other end of the room bounced off his arm.

"SHIT! Please don't kill me?" begged the woman who fired the gun.

"Shut up!" the man growled as he approached the woman and slammed her down onto the ground before pinning her down with a blade through the arm.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH! What do you want?" the woman sobbed in between her screaming.

"The drive you stole, NOW!" the man demanded

The woman pointed him towards the drives hidden location and after retrieving it the man then turned to finish the woman, but as he went to deal the killing blow he was blown out of the window and onto the street below.

Upon standing up the man saw the cause of his quick exit and he did not like what he saw: A contractor with short, spiky, red hair and a black, business suit on as he hopped out onto the street.

"Ya' know I didn't think I'd ever meet the Black Reaper in person." the contractor taunted as he approached the man now known as the Black Reaper only to have to dodge out of the way of a knife being thrown towards him. After swiftly moving out the way he once more sent a blast flying towards the Reaper but this time, he was prepared and whilst sprinting towards his enemy, the Reaper slid under it bending backwards before rising up and performing a spinning kick sending the contractor to the floor.

Misaki pulled up just a bit away from the scene along with other officers and pointed her gun at the Reaper as she exited her car. However, no one could move in as it was too dangerous for a normal human to get in between two fighting contractors and so, they waited for it was all they could do.

Whilst watching the two contractors dance around each other's attacks, Misaki couldn't help but pray that the Reaper would win yet she knew not why. They were both fast, both matching each other's attacks with speed, power, and strength however, there could be no draw and only one of them would emerge victorious. As the contractor with spiked hair sent yet another blast towards the Reaper, he realized his mistake as soon as he felt the cold sting of a blade in his abdomen. As his strength failed him he fell to his knees. The contractor gazed up from his position and saw none other than the Reaper himself charging at him, another blade in hand. He couldn't help but smirk as he felt a strange pride overtake him. He had just shared a battlefield with the Black Reaper himself. He wouldn't live to tell about it but he had done well regardless. "You truly are the best, aren't you?" The man asked himself before it all ended as everything went black.

No...

...It was Darker Than Black.

"MOVE IN!" Misaki ordered as they all charged for the Reaper and yet as always, he dashed away sheathing his blade in its holster and relying on his coat to repel any bullets that flew towards him. Throwing a wire to a railing above him, the Reaper swung up onto a rooftop to escape the danger behind.

"Chief, he got away." an officer reported

"DAMN IT! Misaki exclaimed "Set up a crime scene." Misaki then sighed, as she went back to her car.

"Yes ma'am!" the officer saluted as he then walked off to carry out his orders.

'I wonder when we'll meet again BK-201?' Misaki thought.

* * *

Authors Notes:

Hey guys so i hope you enjoyed this first official chapter for the story i tried my best to try and create a short fight scene that still delivered a the aspect of the Black Reaper being well just being the Black Reaper. I wanted to give him this cool intro to the story since he is a badass after all.

In the next chapter I will be focusing more on Li's daily lifestyle and a few other things so you can expect the pace to slow down a little bit for now.

For now however, i would just like to say thank you so much for reading this chapter and again just a quick reminder your feedback on this is extremely helpful and appreciated so again thank you for reading and I shall catch you guys as soon as I can.

P.S. Thank you to Jubub2327 for being my beta reader and helping me make some changes to this chapter as he has done with the next chapters and so on so forth. He is an amazing writer and you should definitely go an check out his page and stories.


	3. Chapter 2 - My Hidden Persona

The following day a man with short raven-black hair strolled the streets. He had deep sea, blue eyes and stood at a height of 5 foot 11. Whilst walking down the street his stomach began to rumble. Stopping, he stared down towards the rumbling beast inside. 'Aw shit I have to get some food before…'

Too late.

the man's stomach let out a gigantic growl which attracted the eyes of all those around him as the man shyly chuckled and waved politely before making his way to the nearest fast food restaurant.

He was a shy young man who wasn't too great at socialising,. He was also a college student and was here in Japan to study whilst also working multiple jobs to pay his rent and any other expenses he faced.

During the time that he had been here the young man had managed to make himself a few friends but not too many, yet this was perfect for him making life cosy and comfortable. But, the man had a hidden side to him that nobody knew of and it was this very hidden persona of his that caused him to distance himself from forming any real attachments.

Making his way into a restaurant the man sat and gave his order, putting a shock on the waitress' face as she simply stared before smiling and leaving his table.

'What was that about, it's just food?' the man thought to himself.

It had only been a short while, yet the man was starting to sweat a bit. 'What if my stomach growls again!' the man wondered to himself.

"Here you are sir, I hope you enjoy." A waiter said as he and the waitress from previously brought his order.

"Thank you!" The young man exclaimed in joy.

3 bowls of ramen, 2 dishes of sushi, a bowl of Udon noodles, 3 dishes of tamagoyaki, some sukiyaki, fries, a couple burgers and some tonkatsu. The man was quite hungry to say the least...

People stared unintentionally as the man devoured his food in a flash, ordering more and more and more! He just wouldn't stop eating no matter what! Eventually, the man came to a stop and wiped his mouth with a bright wide smile and asked for his check.

Whilst paying for his check he got a nice smile from a waitress who he recognised as an old friend and after catching up a little bit he paid for his meal and left without another peep from him.

Yes, the man had a perfectly normal life. Or so you would think. Upon reaching his apartment he saw one of his neighbours and waved a quick hello to her.

"Hiya Li-kun!" A woman waved happily.

"Hello Irene." Li waved back with a smile before entering his small apartment.

Breathing in deeply, Li walked over to the only piece of furniture he had in this apartment which was a small round table that was only large enough to be ideal for one person.

On the table were some sealed documents. Opening the documents, Li simply stared before dropping them back down onto the table and moving into a hidden compartment in the room in which he hid a set of clothing.

Pulling on the thin pants and thick combat shirt, Li then attached a few scabbards around his body and one around his right leg. Next, he moved to sheathing multiple custom combat knives into the scabbards. Once geared up with his weapons, Li clipped a grey utility belt around his waist before pulling on some gloves and donning a long overcoat that reached to his ankles.

As he adjusted his collar to help conceal his face, he reached for a white porcelain mask. The mask was rather plain all around, it had no special grooves or intricate engravings. What it did have was rather sinister in it's simplicity. Two angular slits acting as eye holes with a sharp purple lightning bolt across the right eye-hole and a thin red line in the shape of a smile making for a pale visage of death. As he put on the mask he thought of how perfect it was to personify his other half. With that he had completed his transformation.

"Miyuzaki huh? I should be moving then If I want to catch her tonight." Li said bluntly. In fact, he was no longer Li now he was Hei the Black Reaper.

A rough looking man sat still whilst looking through a sniper as he scanned the area slowly looking for any irregularities. after concluding the area was clear for now and with a breath of relief he placed his sniper next to him. Lighting a cigarette to calm his nerves, the man tried to relax for a moment before putting the silent killer out and went back to his sniper.

"Huang, where is he?" A voice asked.

"Yeah cause' I'm gonna know!" The man now known as Huang replied. His voice was rough and gargled a bit, hinting that he had been smoking for a long time.

A small black cat hopped up onto the wall Huang was perched at and looked down at the area below before suddenly his face soothed.

"There!" The cat said peering up towards Huang.

"I got him."

"OK good, for now let's see if for once things go how we plan them to."

* * *

Hei moved swiftly through the shadows as he made his way towards the building he was targeting. However, having no idea of what to expect inside he made the mental note to be cautious here.

Once right outside the door of the building he was to infiltrate he held up his hand towards where he knew Huang was watching him from and gave a signal signifying he would be no longer than three minutes. Placing his hand on the door, he gave off an eerie blue glow. The door's electrical lock short circuited as Hei burst inside and immediately scanned the room: three men and one woman tied up in the corner.

It was too risky, the space too confined, but he had to deal with that and act, NOW!

Hei reacted in seconds to the men attempting to attack him and started the short battle in this small space. One of the men moved in with a drain pipe and made a swing for Hei, but his movements were clumsy giving Hei the opening he needed to sweep the man off his feet, finishing him with a quick snap of the neck.

SHIT!

That was all Hei could think as he was picked up from behind and thrown into one of the walls of the room before having a baseball bat swung into his side. This sudden attack caused Hei to buckle over giving his enemies the perfect chance to attack once more.

MOVE!

Hei forced through the pain, as he threw himself to the side dodging a combined attack from the remaining two men. Now was his chance. Hei pulled out one of his blades and moved in for the kill. Pouncing upon the bigger of the two men Hei stabbed his blade through the man's neck three times before slicing his neck and dropping him to the floor completely eradicating his life.

"FUCK YOU!" The final man screamed as he glowed blue and sent bullets flying out of his hands.

Hei easily countered these bullets of course due to his ability allowing him to add an electrical layer around his coat which caused the bullets to repel off him. The man used the quick pause in combat as he took off and ran through the door leading outside, escaping.

"Huang leave him I have the target." Hei said over comms getting a roger from his team mate.

"Who are you? Don't hurt me!" the woman sobbed as she thought back to how he killed those two men.

"Shut up." Hei bluntly replied as he knocked the woman out with a short shock of electricity through her brain.

Hei quickly moved the target to a rendezvous point where a van was waiting. Hopping in after placing the woman in the back, Hei met with Huang and the cat.

For a short while there was peace among the group as they spoke a little about the contractor who escaped with Huang assuring them that he would be dealt with shortly. Soon they were all back at a safe house as they moved the target down into the basement and set her on a couch.

"Go home, I'll call you when it's time." Huang ordered as Hei left immediately.

"Well things actually went smoothly." the cat from earlier chuckled.

"Don't fuck us over Mao!" Huang spat.

* * *

The contractor who escaped walked slowly through an alleyway, thinking back to earlier on that night...

"Why the fuck was the Black Reaper there!?" the contractor asked himself.

"Hey friend, today's your lucky day." A man dressed in a beige overcoat and gloves with a business suit underneath happily said to him.

"What do you mean?" The contractor asked confused.

"You don't have to deal with the Black Reaper ever again." The man chuckled.

Before the contractor could respond he started struggling to breath and upon looking down he saw a katana blade piercing his chest. Reaching for the man in front of him in a silent plea for help, the contractor was penetrated by yet another blade. The man in the beige coat moved away down the alleyway before turning a corner and disappearing.

This was the world the contractors lived in: you choose the wrong side and you'll be hunted for the rest of your life, and in such a fucked up world, you were always on the wrong side.

* * *

 **Authors Notes:  
**

Hello again! I want to say thank you to all those who have started reading this fan fiction it really does make me happy that people are finding my story and hopefully enjoying it.

This chapter focused on Li/Hei and their life on the daily. Next chapter however will properly introduce a new main character into the story; the girl briefly described in the introduction chapter.

Again thank you for reading and I can't wait to upload a new chapter so for now BYE!


	4. Chapter 3 - Unexpected Meetings

A young woman lay in a still silence among a mass of dishevelled sheets and blankets, half covered with limbs protruding from under her bed-dress as the early sunrise made its way through the slotted blinds of the adjacent window.

She was a tall woman of slender build, and as the sheets were, one could make out the figure of her body as they clung to her. The waves of the sheets defined her bust and flowering hips, contouring the curve of her frame as the sun's rays illuminated her skin, which seemed to glow with its own milky complexion. She was someone that would be thought of as beautiful by many with her small, soft face. In her sleeping form she gave off an air of sweetness and innocence, perhaps even maturity. Though it is said that looks can be deceptive.

Rolling over gently, she began to groan loudly as her alarm clock sprang to life sending out a wailing sound which was deafening to the young girl's ears. Sitting up in frustration and anger, the girl slammed an aggressive strike onto her alarm silencing its cries before peacefully smiling and laying back down on her pillows. Opening her deep chocolate brown eyes once more she prepared herself to depart from the comfort of sleep.

"Ughhhh! I hate Saturdays." The girl moaned before moving out of bed, pushing off her covers to the floor below.

Moving into her kitchen the girl pulled out some cereal and milk, which were soon accompanied by a bowl and spoon. She began to combine the four items, creating a perfectly made bowl of cereal. AN:(Because making cereal requires so much effort.) BN:(Indeed.) Eating the cereal slowly the girl moved herself to her soft yet bouncy couch as she then turned on her T.V to the news channel.

"We bring you to a live crime scene where last night, yet another attack happened. Kiera, over to you."

"Yes, that is right, there was another attack last night where two men fought between each other until apparently, according to the chief of police, one was brutally murdered, receiving multiple stabs and lacerations from what the police believe to be an adult male wielding a knife... Still waiting on other reports, but for now, that is all we have on the situation…" the girl turned the T.V off.

"Stupid idiots. Contractors are all over the damn city and yet no one knows about them."

Finishing her cereal, the girl stretched out a yawn before backtracking into her room and over towards her wardrobe where she then pulled out a casual outfit: Black lace lingerie that clung to her figure elegantly which she then accompanied with a simple pair of charcoal skinny jeans that she performed her own little wiggle to get into.

After this, she pulled on a white top that had the sleeves purposely cut off by her making it a T-shirt. Finally, a leather jacket that fell short was added to the mix of clothing. It was a simple outfit that didn't make her look rugged but still didn't make her stand out either and just to add a little more spice to it she chose some knee-high heels.

What was it that even made her decide to stay in this city? It was this city where she lost her family all those years ago. It was this city that made her feel lonely and cold. It was this city that made her blood boil in anger and hatred.

Yet, she stayed...

She stayed for the rain which calmed her when it patted against her face. She stayed for the sun which shone brightly and warmed her skin nicely. She stayed for this city, although holding her down like a shackled beast, was her home.

Pushing these thoughts aside, the young woman tied her hair in a messy ponytail and grabbed her purse before leaving her small yet comfortable apartment and making her way off to the mall.

* * *

Walking around here was dull when she couldn't find anything interesting to buy. It was like she was a lost puppy just wandering the halls of a strange land, with strange smells and strange sights and for all of this, she couldn't find her way out.

THERE!

Rushing over to the shop she loved seeing, the young woman (who was acting more like a small child right now) laid her eyes on the most beautiful ankle boots she had ever seen: The boots were made from dark leather and suede materials that styled a bright brown colour.

They would be perfect for her.

* * *

Ten minutes later she exited the shop feeling very proud of herself as she had managed to buy the last pair in stock which only made her even happier about coming to the mall today. However, she now had to find something else to do and that...

...that was when she saw him.

He was a tall, handsome man of strong, athletic build and fair skin. Adorning his head was long black hair. Tracing the lines of his body she noticed his defined collarbones and lean vascular arms.

He strode down the mall somewhat aloof, his posture straight and his hands in his pockets.

Just who was he though?

She followed him...

she stalked him...

she stared at him...

she was a pervert! But it wasn't her fault and besides she wasn't the only girl who was staring at him the rest were just more obvious about it and she was more 'stalker' like about it.

Wait! Where was he? He'd disappeared in the seconds she was thinking about her own behaviour, without her even noticing. She hadn't taken her eyes off him for a second. Well maybe a few seconds while she drooled a little…

"How long did you plan on following me?" A low voice whispered from beside her.

"AHHHHH!" The young woman screamed as she frantically waved her arms around before falling on her butt.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you, I was just curious really as to what your reasons were for stalking me." The man said trying to contain his laughter.

"I… I was not stalking you!" The girl mumbled as she looked away to hide her blush.

"Sure, you weren't." The man smiled as he held out his hand.

Taking his hand, the girl was amazed at the minimum amount of effort he exerted pulling her up from her position on the ground, standing solid like a rock as he did so. His hands were soft yet rough. They had a masculine feel to them indicating he likely worked labour jobs. A strong musk wafted from him to meet her nose as she stood in front of him. The smell held a warmth to it, like earth and soap, which was decidedly pleasant.

"You're spacing out."

CRAP SHE WAS STILL HOLDING HIS HAND!

"Sorry!" the girl cried out.

"It's fine, really. Name's Li… Li Shengshun."

"Aika, Aika Takahashi."

"Well then Aika, care to join me for a drink?"

* * *

 **Authors Notes:**

I would firstly like to express how much I loved writing this chapter due to its simple yet complex nature of a good introduction for our OC Aika Takahashi.

Secondly, I will once again thank my partner (Jubub2327) in this story for helping me write such an amazing chapter and his wonderous improvements on certain aspects such as: The atmosphere of the world, giving this chapter a better sense of neutrality and other things among this as well. He is an amazing perosn and You can all defenitely look forward to more chapters involving his amazing ideas.

Finally, I would like to thank all of the people who have read this story so far, we are on nearly 100 views right now so this all means so much to me, so thank you to all of thos who have been reading so far. A short reminder that any feedback is appreciated from any of you even if it is a simple comment on you enjoying this story or some criticism.

Anyways, enough of me rambling on at you all, i hope you have enjoyed this chapter as much as me and Jubub2327 have enjoyed writing it, and I will see you all very soon.


	5. Chapter 4 - Closer than you think

BN: Beta-male here hittin' it up with a new chapter. I know what you're thinking. 'Don't betas usually just do revisions and stuff?' Yes they do, but the guy who normally does the writing part is a bit busy with studies so here I am. Anyway, due to this there may be some discrepancies in writing style so yeah. With that I bring you your irregularly scheduled program.

Author: "He really does get carried away sometimes hahaha! Don't worry he is an amazing writer and you will all love this chapter." (Gives a friendly wink to Beta-male)

* * *

She had never been to this part of the city before, which was strange considering the short distance there was between it and her home.

Walking along the streets, she could tell the people in this area were poor with poor roads, old cars lining the streets and rickety buildings lining the block. This place though didn't have the usual suspect citizens of poorer communities such as prostitutes and shady street urchins. The citizens around chatted, laughed and smiled at people as they walked past. This place was warm and homey, and Aika liked it quite a bit.

Walking along the man she met, Li, she wondered if he was from this part of town. He definitely fit in here. She could tell from looking at him and talking with him that he was a kind person. She thought about his invitation to her to go drinking.

"So, Li, why did you invite me anyhow?" She glanced at him. "You get blasted with everyone you meet?"

He shook his head with a small smile. "Not so much no. I used to go out with my friends every once in a while, but they're far away from her. And you know what they say, It's never good to drink alone." He smiled.

"You're from out of town then?"

"Yeah actually," He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm from the southern Island. My folks are actually from china though. Came over here after world war two to settle when the communist party started gaining power."

She smirked at him. "You some kind of history nerd or something?"

"Not really." He said abashedly. "That's why I'm here, to go to university over in Chofu."

They continued their conversation and before Aika knew it, they had arrived at a little food stall with an old man behind the counter.

"This is the place." Li stretched his arm out gesturing at the small shop.

Aika frowned. "This place?"

Li nodded. "You'll like it, I promise."

Reluctantly Aika followed as Li parted the curtains of the small restaurant and walked her in. Instantaneously, Aika was taken over by a sense of hospitality coming from strong, delicious smells of food.

"Welcome to my stand. What can I get ya?" Aika was greeted with a smile from the old man as Li walked in.

"Oh, welcome back Li. I see you brought a lady this time." Sounded a gruff voice.

"It's not like that Huang; she's just a friend." He said, a twinge in his cheeks.

Huang laughed. "I'm just jokin' kid. Have a seat."

"Thanks Huang."

After the brief exchange between the two men, Li and Aika took their seats as they ordered food: Aika didn't want to make a bad impression on Li and so instead, she went with a simple dish of Mito soup. However, what she saw Li order gave her a slight uneasy feeling.

Li acted completely casual as three dishes of Mito soup were placed in front of him, two large bowls of Ramen, some Udon noodles, Tempura meat and finally to finish off the order, a plate of five Yakitori meat on skewers.

"So what is it you do?" Li inquired breaking the silence.

"Me?" Aika asked dumbly.

"I don't see anyone else here."

Aika blushed. "I'm a cop."

Li looked worried. "I'm not in trouble am I?"

Aika smiled. "No nothing like that. Just thought you were an interesting guy."

"Interesting huh? Is that right?"

Aika Blushed. "That's not what I meant."

"Anyway what kind of department do you work at?" Li changed the subject much to Aika's relief. "Is it just donuts and parking tickets or is it something more," He leaned in. "secret?"

Despite the fact he was just teasing, that made her very uncomfortable.

"Ha ha. Maybe if I showed you how these handcuffs worked, you wouldn't be so quick to judge."

"Is that a challenge?" He whispered, and she went red ear to ear from the implications of that statement.

Realizing what he said, Li backed up a bit and put his hand behind his head. "Sorry, I'm a little nervous and tend to speak my thoughts aloud." Aika giggled.

After a while their impromptu date had ended. Li called her a cab and payed the driver before helping Aika in.

"Bye Aika, I'll see you around."

"Bye Li." She hugged him and closed the door, leaving Li with a strange feeling in his gut as he stood and waved her off as she left.

"You know," Huang said. "It really disgusts me when you play with people's feelings like that. You contractors are all the same."

"What else would you have me do?" 'Li' responded darkly. "We need information." He frowned. "She was very careful though, if a bit naive."

"Either way, It's for the better that it ended when it did." Huang shrugged. "Anyway we got another job."

* * *

Aika couldn't help but feel like she had stepped out into the cold as she entered her apartment, despite the fact that she always kept her thermostat at eighty-five.

She couldn't help but think about Li. Though she had only known him since today, she felt like it had been much longer. It was strange really, going home to no one after a night like that. Li was such a great guy and In the end she had lied to him.

Soon, drained of energy by confusing thoughts and feelings, Aika went to bed.

Maybe she could sleep it off?

* * *

It's been said since times long past that things tend to happen late in the night. These things show themselves in tales as ghouls, vampires, demons and the like. Gruesome and horrific monsters of the night, all of them. Contractors are no different.

Much in the way that an evil spirit may feed on the darkest part of your soul, consuming everything until their power grows strong enough to drain your being into a world of darkness, contractors stalk the night in search of their next score.

In another sense though, one could see the contractors as the victims, the consumed. Those who had just enough darkness in them, whether it be despair, hatred or greed, for something dark to latch onto, driving them into a cold world where nothing matters and the only thing they can see is the darkness around them. A darkness blacker than black and wider than any great expanse of open space. Maybe the same darkness that makes them contractors... is also that which freezes their hearts.

Where does this put Hei? A contractor dealt no price for his curse, even retaining some semblance of a spark for humanity. Were someone to look at him now, drenched in blood of people and contractors alike, unfazed and unyielding one might think him a monster like the rest, though most do not know what he fights for.

Poetic what someone can become for the sake of their family. A blossom of death.

"Hei!" Huang snaps his fingers in front of his face. "Get your head out of your ass. The cops are on their way and we still got shit to do."

Hei's head smoothly swiveled to meet the small ugly man. "Everything's under control."

"Sheesh, what's bothering you?" Huang palmed his face. "What am I saying?" He put his arms out. "You're a contractor."

Silence.

It was the type of silence that although lasted only a couple of seconds, it left hours of effects on a person if allowed to. It was the type of silence that Hei thrived in for the silence could be just as dangerous as any blade or gun if used properly.

"Whatever. I got the package. You get the bodies while I get the van."

"Fine."

With that, Hei proceeded to bag and stack bodies in a small pile to be loaded in the van. All the while thinking about that girl.

Why had he brought her to dinner that night. He knew from the get-go who she was but he also knew she would be very careful and he would get next to nothing from her but his mouth formed words without him thinking. The next thing he knew he was buzzed, sitting next to her in a fake food stall experiencing a twinge of emotion he didn't know was even there, just like the sinking feeling he got when she rode off in her taxi.

Strange.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Aika arrived at the location of a reported disturbance; Someone had reported what sounded like clanging and shouting which had gone on for several minutes. Due to the obvious signs of contractor activity detected by their systems, Aika's unit was deployed post-haste to sweep the area for evidence and survivors.

All that could be found was an open parking lot filled with blood adjacent to an abandoned building. Due to her past, experience… Aika had developed a keen interest in crime scene investigation, landing herself as a forensic investigator.

After a few minutes of snapping and cataloging photos of the splatters, as well as some key footprints, Aika decided she had enough photos that stepping in the pool of blood would not destroy any evidence they had not already recorded. With that she proceeded to walk in and take notes on the blood spray on her tape recorder.

"From the pattern and angle of the distinguishable blows, the assailant appears to be an adult male somewhere from 5' 9" to 6' 1". The amount of blood accumulated in this area suggests a large scale fight, most likely contractors, though it seems like it was a very one sided fight." She stooped down to study the footprints. "One set of footprints follow a clear path, multiple victims falling in their wake as they continue through, all other sets of footprints ending within arms reach of the suspect, leaving large pools of dark arterial blood."

As she continued her search she came across a dark glob on the ground that she identified as hair, black hair.

"Misaki, come look at this!" Aika called across the scene.

"What do you have?"

"Some hair." She said as she tagged and bagged the article.

"Perp or vic?"

"Definitely the perp. Looks like a wild swing with a sharp blade gave em a little haircut."

"Do you think it was BK201 again?" Misaki questioned.

"It sure looks like it. Though his star wasn't active tonight." Aika thought. "Then again, he's proven on countless occasions, that he prefers close combat with a blade over the use of his power. Strange for a contractor."

"He's never been in the norms." Misaki sighed. "Sometimes I almost don't want to catch him. He may just kill us all if we corner him, like what happened here." She gestured with her hands.

"I know what you mean."

Aika stood back up, her posture going rigid at the apex of her stance.

"Aika, you ok?"

Aika's head smoothly swiveled to meet Misaki's face, her pupils fully dilated.

She shook her head. "I..." She stuttered. "...I'm fine, just got the chills."

"I hear ya. Let's get this evidence back to the lab. It's been a long day."

* * *

 **Authors Notes:  
** Well I must say I am really impressed with this chapter from my partner, he has amazing talent and I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did.

The reason he has written this and not me is because I have been busy studying for college exams coming up, but hopefully I will be back and writing once more.

Until then, I hope you enjoyed this and I will see you on the next chapter!


	6. Chapter 5 - Can A Contractor Love

It was during the drive back to the lab: they were attacked by a group of men stopping them before they could go any further as all present officers and captains all made a barrier with their cars and took defensive positions as they pulled out their guns.

Who were they? Contractors? Soldiers? Hitmen?

Whoever they were it was clear that they weren't here for a friendly chat, although in this profession a friendly chat doesn't necessarily mean sitting down and talking.

"Who are you, and what is your intention here!?" Misaki shouted from behind her car

"Kill them all and take the evidence." one of the men calmly ordered.

* * *

It was all too easy for them that night and it didn't take long for word to get around of the sudden attack on Foreign Affairs. Many people even began to question their ability to keep them safe if they couldn't even protect themselves.

If only they knew the truth...

As for the ones who did know, well they paid no mind to it as they realised it was better that they were to never meddle in the Syndicates business. If they wanted something then they got it, no matter the consequences or the cost.

* * *

"Kanami? What is it?" Misaki asked as she answered her phone.

"Misaki, I was just checking in. How are you doing?" Kanami asked in concern.

"I'm doing just fine. I can't believe I even survived that whole ordeal!"

"Well, I'm glad you did. What about your squad?"

"They're all fine, although Aika took a nasty shot to her shoulder and is currently taking some time off to recover."

"Shit!"

"What is it?"

"Nothing to worry about. Just get some rest ok and I will probably see you at the weekend."

"Ok then, see you then. Bye."

"Bye."

Whatever Kanami was dealing with, Misaki was just happy she wasn't a part of it right now. As she lay on her couch staring up at her ceiling in deep thought, she realized she was thinking in circles. 'Maybe I should just get some rest' Misaki thought to herself as she made her way into the bedroom.

* * *

As Aika sat quietly in her lonesome apartment in deep thought on the situation last night. Why had these men attacked them? And why was it always BK-201 that ended up being their main perpetrator? What connections did he have, and who doesn't want him found? So many questions floated around in Aika's mind and yet, she didn't have an answer to a single one of them.

Sighing heavily, she stood, making her way into the bathroom to have a relaxing shower.

As the water ran down her body she felt a rush of relief and comfort. Feeling her knees buckle a little, Aika hunched over and placed her palms on the shower wall to support her weight as she settled comfortably under the pouring water allowing its heat to drown away her stress. It had been a while since she had simply gotten a shower to wash away her stressful thinking, and she must admit that it felt good, very good.

After a short time in the shower, Aika stepped out of the small cubicle and wrapped a towel around her body and her head before making her way back down her hallway and into her living room to relax for awhile.

As she went about her business, she noticed a white dot in the corner of her eye. She glanced at it offhandedly before doing a double-take that nearly gave her whiplash. Then she stood, frozen...

… Standing on the rooftop opposite her building at just a few floors above was the infamous Black Reaper. He was just staring into her window with the wide, intimidating smile of that white mask. Why was he here?

SHIT!

Aika ran for her phone to call it in, but upon reaching the window again just before she dialed, the realisation set in and she fell to disappointment; he was gone.

"Who are you?" Aika whispered to herself.

* * *

Why had he done that?

He had met her once, ONCE! And now he was bloody stalking her. Fool!

Making his way from building to building, Hei leaped silently as he headed in the direction of his safe house on his way back from another small job.

He couldn't help it though, she was beautiful. And sure, he had come across many beautiful women, some of which he had to sleep with to get the job done, but he had never come across her type of captivating and angelic looks before.

Her personality too. It reminded him of his sister Bai. The way she looked at him with her brown and doughy eyes giving him some small measure of comfort that he hadn't felt since Amber. Or, the way she laughed at his cheesy jokes and smiled when he would do something stupid or embarrassing, it was… Enticing.

Snapping himself out of his human-like thoughts, Hei focused back on reaching the safe house so he could end this mission and hopefully go home and get some rest. He had missed his bed considering he hadn't seen the damn thing for two days straight. It would be nice to finally get a good night's rest and to be able to cook himself some actual food and not the crap that Huang made even if it did taste fill his stomach.

"Hei…" a small, soft voice started over the comms.

"Yin?" Hei questioned.

"Where are you Hei?"

"I'm nearly there Yin, just a few more minutes," Hei kindly replied as he heard Yin produced a soft huffing noise, signifying she was satisfied by his reply..

"Hurry it up!" Huang shouted over the comms sounding distant.

"I'll be there soon Yin, try and get some rest for me."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye."

Hei cut the comms and threw his wire, swinging over a road and landing on a building at the other side before continuing his dash for the safe house.

He had missed Yin.

She had taken a few days off the team due to Hei seeing how she needed her rest: yes, she was a doll, but she was different… unique even.

'Oh Yin, if only you could help me with my dilemma…' Hei internally said to himself.

Leaping once more Hei dropped down into an alleyway, and before entering the hidden safe house he asked himself…

"Is it possible for a contractor to love?"


	7. Chapter 6 - A New Beginning

It had been a while now, almost a month since the attack on Foreign Affairs and still Misaki and her squad were no closer to finding out who their attackers actually were and who they worked for.

As well as this the contractors in the city had started getting bolder and now groups were starting to emerge from the shadows attacking multiple areas at once. It was Hell.

"You know Kanami, when I asked you what was happening and you said nothing, I think you maybe forgot to mention the fact that contractors were rising up all over the place!" Misaki exclaimed.

"Yeah, that probably wasn't the best idea..." Kanami sheepishly smiled back.

"Right well now I have to send my squad out alone while I clean up another mess. Excuse me."

Misaki left Kanami in her office as she made her way over to the briefing room where her squad was waiting for her to return and continue giving them the plan.

"Boss, everything ok?" Saito asked.

"Yeah, just peachy. Ok, I have a lot of work to do so were going to have to cut this short. Aika, take some officers and go see about that incident in the old warehouse up north. Saito take the rest of the squad and go give squad 3 in Shinjuku some backup." Misaki ordered

"Yes chief!" Everyone said in unison as they all left to get on with their orders

* * *

As Aika sat in the back of the van with the officers accompanying her she couldn't help but think of Li: She hadn't seen him since their first date and she was starting to worry that he might think she was blowing him off.

'I didn't even get his phone number. Good thing I know where he lives though, well his neighbourhood at least.' Aika thought to herself

Soon after, the van came to an abrupt stop and everyone hopped out. Immediately everyone settled into positions to cover ground and ensure they were all safe.

"Ok squad, move!" Aika ordered

It was slow, it was silent, it was absolutely terrifying. As they moved through the dark corridors of the now abandoned warehouse each member of Aika's squad was beginning to feel uneasy. Not knowing if there was anything in here with them they couldn't be sure what was going to happen, and with each step they took it was another step towards their possible deaths.

"Ma'am, are you sure about this?" one of the officers asked.

"Not entirely no, but we have our orders so keep it together." Aika replied.

Aika's hand flew up to signal them to stop as a creaking sound above bounced along the walls and floors. However, before any of them could react an explosion threw most of them over with the remaining standing officers being cut down by something too fast to track.

"Ma'am! I've got two heat sigs; one above and one directly in front of us."

"Engage!"

Chaos opened up in the warehouse as flashes of light emerged from the gunfire before inevitably being swallowed up by the shadows once more.

Aika took position with her team and although combat wasn't her best area she still knew to keep calm in these situations, but she wasn't sure if that would be enough right now. Almost as soon as she joined her team another explosion blasted her straight through a nearby wall immobilising her completely.

"Aika!"

There was no response from her just quick, aggressive breaths that were very quickly becoming irregular, as she showed no signs of recovery from the attack.

She could feel it; her spine had broken and now she couldn't move, not just that but she could feel her right arm burning in pain as well as her left leg feeling as though it had been torn off.

She was going to die here, there was no chance of recovery from this not with the added pool of blood now flowing out from her body.

It was over.

"Aika, Aika. Do not give up yet, now is not your time." An unfamiliar voice called out.

Miraculously after hearing this voice she could feel the pain numbing and after a short time found she was able to move again. She didn't have time to think about it, whatever happened just now was irrelevant to saving her own life.

'Wait no, I need to save my team they are my priority. Aren't they?'

Without hesitating Aika launched herself into battle and began shooting with far better accuracy than she had ever been trained to.

Her vision had also drastically improved as she could now see perfectly in the dark which is what allowed her to pick her targets more carefully. She accurately put three bullets into one of the contractor's legs before she engaged further and shot two more through his chest.

Approaching the now dying man, Aika knelt down to look him in the eyes. Seeing his fear, it almost made her previous pain worth it.

"Fucking contractors, of course the police are using Contractors..." the man said with coughs of blood.

"I'm no Contractor." Aika chuckled.

"Sure you're not, just shrugged off getting your ass blown through reinforced concrete? Whatever, just hurry up and do me!"

After that Aika put one more bullet through the man's head. Could it be true?

"Team, pull back!" Aika ordered

'I need to see Kanami.'

* * *

 **Authors Notes:** Okay, I would first like to say that I am sorry that I haven't been uploading as of recent and that is with good reason. Class has kept me so busy as of these past two months with assignments and too much studying. As well this my co-writer as been slammed with work making it harder for him to help me update this story.

Secondly, I know tbis story is short and again that is for good reason. Given the context of the chapter with Aikas transformation, I didn't want to add any other characters in this chapter who could potentially steal focus from her, and although I tried for hours this was as long as I could make the chapter without it seeking boring and dragged out.

Third and finally, I would like to thank all those of you who have been reading this story and keeping up with it and even if you don't leave feedback, then as long as you are enjoying it then I am satisfied with my work done here.

Now I hope you all enjoy and I will be updating more frequently from now on.


	8. Chapter 7 - Daydreams and Nightmares

How long has it been?

A decade?

More?

It felt like it had been forever since this feeling had come alive in him. Not since he was a child had he felt like this about anyone. Sure along the way he had come across many women, but none had sparked this feeling in him like she had that one night.

A trained killer, someone to be feared by all, someone who can watch a person's life leave them without the slightest bit of remorse or regret. And yet he had succumbed to a simple emotion which were the very things he scoffed at when others would mention them.

What was it about her that made him feel this way?

"Hei! Quit ya' dreamin' and focus!" Huang shouted.

"What?" Hei asked in his usual monotone voice.

"I said, did you manage to get the vial?"

"No, it was stolen by a woman before I could retrieve it. Who she was I don't know, but she's had training."

"Did you at least kill the target?" Mao asked.

"The target was neutralised, he won't be causing the Syndicate anymore trouble."

"Hei seems sad, why Hei sad?" Yin asked.

"What are you blabbering about?" Huang asked impatiently.

"I'm fine Yin." Hei said with a cautious smile that only Yin noticed.

"Lie." Yin flat out retorted.

Hei couldn't help but chuckle in his mind at her perceptive manner. She always knew when something was wrong with him even when he was using his training to hide his feelings, so it made perfect sense she'd notice something now when he was showing slight hesitation and unfocused attention as he had been.

'Should he tell them he's having feelings for a woman? No! Are you crazy Hei! You're a contractor not a human being, you don't do emotions.'

"Whatever, just make sure you get some rest tonight. I can guarantee the Syndicate will want that vial within the next 48 hours." Huang scoffed as he stood and left the park they had all gathered in

"Hei I don't know what's wrong with you lately and quite frankly I don't care enough to ask. I do care however, about the danger you're putting us all in with all this hesitation and second guessing our orders. Get your head back in the game or we'll all end up dead." Mao politely lectured before trotting off.

Sighing deeply Hei stood and stretched his back out with a yawn as he then stared off into the distance.

Mao was right: Aika obviously had no intention of wanting to see him again, after all it had been a month now since they had seen each other. It was time to move on and accept the truth. He was a Contractor and in his life there was no time for love and emotion, there was only his squad and orders and that was all he was going to focus on.

"Come on Yin, let's get you home." Hei said in his emotionless voice as he helped her stand.

* * *

Arriving in his apartment Hei felt his stomach growl before it released a roar of irritation from a lack of food all day. Clutching his stomach Hei's body repeated the growl, as though it were an annoyed animal growing ever hostile.

As his stomach cried out for food for the third time now, Hei gave in and strolled over to his fridge lazily as he began to prepare ingredients for a meal. Only, he couldn't and within seconds his reflexes kicked in.

Dodging to the left with a quick side-step, Hei brought a kitchen knife and his arm to his attacker pinning them to the fridge whilst holding the steel blade against their throat. Whoever this person was their eyes were covered meaning Hei was at a major disadvantage considering he relied on how much a person's eyes would reveal their true intentions.

"Who are you?" Hei asked in a deathly like whisper.

The person didn't speak and only held up a document for Hei.

"Syndicate." Hei commented getting a confirming nod from the intruder.

Taking the document Hei moved away, but kept the knife close at all times as he opened and read the document he had been handed.

"How long?" Hei asked in monotone as he scanned the information.

"12 hours. We don't need her dead, just have her memories of the past week." the intruder, their voice revealing them to be male, explained.

Hei wasted no time and quickly turned his oven and cooker off before rushing into his room to equip his gear. She was always poking her nose where it didn't belong! Always trying to be some sort of hero. She was a fool for digging so deep and now he had to go after her.

Hei emerged from his room to find the man gone and a note next to the document giving him an address. Memorising the address, Hei threw the document and note into a shredder before emptying the contents into his bin and fleeing his apartment.

"Looks like I might have to kill you this time..." Hei began

"...Misaki Kirihara."

* * *

 **Authors Notes:** Okay so to make up for my lack of updates I have decided to post two shorter chapters for two reasons (ironic).

Reason n 1 - the other chapter was short and again today I made this one short after deciding two short enticing chapters can be much more thrilling than one long chapter.

Reason 2 - two shorter chapters also gives you something more to enjoy so instead of having to dread reading one more chapter because you know it's the last chapter and you'll have to wait until another update, at least here when you finish one you have just a little bit more to keep you going until the next update.

I hope you all enjoy and I will see you all soon in my next update.


	9. Note

OK.

Firstly, I want to begin by disappointing those of you who are still reading even after all this time. This is not a new chapter and I will not be posting a new chapter for maybe another week or so.

However, that's the good news I have for you: After some time, I have found new motivation for continuing this story. I checked my fan-fiction profile after receiving an email for fan-fiction, and I saw that this story has reached over 700 views which to me is absolutely INSANE!

I never really thought it would get as much attention as this and although it has been a while, I intend to post a few new chapters and see how they do. They will either:

1) Succeed in bringing in some more views and hopefully some of the old readers which will then fully motivate me to revive this story.

Or...

2) it doesn't really do that well in which case I'll have to dis-continue this story permanently since I have got a lot going on in my life right now in terms of studies, which believe me I'm not happy about.

I've taken a huge break from writing and so, hopefully me stepping back into it ends as a successful endeavour.

So, expect more content soon, like I said within a week or so and I hope some of you are excited to continue with this story.

See you all soon!


End file.
